Reviews (32)

Watch out for custom editions!
This is a warning for students - the paperback and hardcover books are different in this instance - the paperback does not have all the chapters that the hardcover edition has. So if you need the 9th edition in hardcover, do not buy the paperback!

Mankiw can't deal analytically with the paradox of thrift.
The basic problem with this economics textbook is that Mankiw is unable or unwilling to present an analytic,technically sound exposition ,at the Principles level, of the fundamental theoretical difference separating Keynesian and Neoclassical(Classical)economists in 1936 or today.These differences appear in the paradox of thrift.I have already covered this in my review of Samuelson's classic 1948 first edition.Basically ,neoclassicals argue that the economy is naturally selfadjusting under conditions of resource scarcity.Assuming two types of goods and industries,consumption and investment,any type of private sector miscalculation and/or forecast error of the composition of the product mix that businessmen sell is self correcting by means of inventory adjustment.Too many consumption goods and too few investment goods will lead to an inventory adjustment via the Invisible Hand that results in less consumption goods and more investment goods.There is an inverse relationship between the two sectors of the economy.Unfortunately,such an inverse relationship only obtains if the economy is operating on the boundaries of both the static and dynamic production possibilities frontier(ppf) curves.This requires that business forecasts of their capital stock(factories,plants and equipment)are always correct.In general,the private sector is operating in the interior of both ppf's due to the problem of insufficient investment in infrastructure because the capital stock can't be adjusted in the face of constant innovation,advance,and technological change.The physical capital stock is cast in concrete;it is irreversible,irrevocable and industry specific.This explains why investment is unstable,volatile and unpredictable over time while consumption is stable,predictable and nonvolatile.There is no tradeoff between the two kinds of very different goods.It is interesting that the "real options" theory of Dixit and Pindcyk has come to many of the same conclusions without citing either Samuelson or Keynes.However, there is a solution.Increased public sector investment in needed infrastructure will,through the multiplier process,generate additional income and sales that will create positive expectations of future expected profits for the private sector.This will lead the economy back towards the boundary of both ppf's where the neoclassical marginalist calculus of rational utility and profit maximizers would again become operational.This is the message of both Paul Samuelson and John Maynard Keynes.Mankiw never presents this position in a coherent fashion anywhere in his textbook.The result is that users of Mankiw's book have no idea of what set off the Keynesian Revolution and why macroeconomics is splintered.

Reviews (25)

Excellent Calculus Book for "Normal" People
To add a bit more information to the raw data of these reviews, I've mapped the universe of all possible readers of this book onto a set of x-y axes. Let the x-axis run from "non-Math-types" up through "Math-types." Let they y-axis go from "non-geniuses" up through "geniuses:"

- Quadrant I: genius Math-types will probably be both irritated and bored with this book.Their irritation will spring from the fact that not all of the pure-math proofs they'll be looking for are here.The book focuses more on explaining and doing calculus than on proving it.Most of the material is proven (properly:no missing steps), but the proofs that would get in the way of doing calculus are omitted.Quadrant Is will be bored because the author does his best to pound on a topic until practically everyone can understand it.Genius math-types, since they're inherently capable of grasping this material from proofs alone, will not be pleased by this repetition.For Quadrant Is, some version of Tom M. Apostol's Calculus books (ISBNs 9686708103, 842915003X, 8429150013, 0471000051, 0471503037, 0471000078, or 0471000086) would be a better text.

- Quadrant II: genius non-Math-types will probably prefer the fact that the author skipped some proofs in favor of applications.However, like the Quadrant Is, they'll probably be somewhat bored by the author's "slowness" in moving on after he introduces a topic.This book will be OK for them, but they'd probably prefer a more "terse" presentation.Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations for such a book.

- Quadrant III: non-genius non-Math-types (i.e., "normal" people), will find this book just right.As noted above, the author's focus is on teaching and using calculus, not *necessarily* on proving it.If the proofs are complex enough that they'd distract from that mission, they're either relegated to Appendix G or omitted (though most proofs are present).Best of all, the author doesn't skip steps in his proofs:all the steps are there in their detailed glory.Later in the book, he will occasionally skip a simplification of an expression, but none of the "proof" material is missing.In the latter half of the book, he sometimes does the "proof is left as an exercise for the student" routine, but those are for non-essential proofs.After the author introduces a topic/theorem/method, he always gives multiple (at least three) examples.So, if the readers are having trouble with the equations and proofs,they'll have several chances to figure out what he means from the examples.Also, all the odd problems have answers in the back of the book.There are no steps included with the answers, but usually that's not a problem (since there are so many examples in the book).I also found the appendices giving explanations of pre-Calculus math facts very useful:it's been a long time since I've seen those things, so I needed the refresher.

- Quadrant IV: non-genius Math-types will join the Quadrant Is in disliking the skipping of several proofs, but, like the Quadrant IIIs, will be pleased with the thorough, step-by-step nature of the existing proofs.Not the best choice of a textbook for them, but for those who are having trouble with a "pure math" Calculus book, this is a good supplement.

Overall, this is an excellent book (I rate it 5 stars out of 5).The author did a wonderful job matching his material to his chosen audience (Quadrant III, "normal" people).For non-genius non-math-types, I highly recommend it.For genius non-math-types and non-genius math-types, it's OK.Genius math-types should avoid it and try something like Apostol's Calculus.

Best textbook I've ever had
I thought I was terrible at math until I picked up this book for a college calculus course.In contrast to virtually every other math textbook I'd ever been forced to use, this book explained concepts clearly and simply, providing examples that increased gradually in complexity.I happened to have a good professor that semester, but whenever I didn't understand something in class, I taught myself from this textbook.It was a rare pleasure to feel I could learn such a difficult subject independently.I ended up getting an A in the class - and more importantly, I learned I wasn't bad at math at all.

Reviews (8)

Very good for first-time learner of statistics
I agree with the previous reviewer Jason --- this book is very good in helping a first-time learner understand statistics applied to real-life situations. Usually university teachers don't make good choices for course textbooks but in this case, this book is absolutely the most correct choice.

take another look
This introductory statistics book is unlike any other I read, so it is understandable why it received negative reviews. First off, it deals with "the practice" of statistics, so don't expect mathematical explanations of the statistical analyses presented. Second, it thoroughly explains the conceptual basis and applied aspects of statistics, so don't be surprised if it is a bit more wordy or repetitive than other statistics books. Reenforcement is necessary when learning a new language, and it doesn't assume mathematical formulas are understandable without explanations.

Its highlight is its coverage of collecting data. Most statistics books don't even mention how data is collected, or should be collected; they only show you how to analyze it. General principles of sampling and experimentation are licidly covered, as are the implications of using these two fundamentally different approaches to research.

The second strong point of this book is its general overview of statistics. It shows how different analyses are used for different types of data (categorical vs. quantitative), although the general premise is the same--relationship between variables.

Finally, it makes a connection between real data and theoretical distributions. Most statistics books start off saying, "assume the data follow a normal distribution" but real data never does. Moore and McCabe explains how we can use a mathematical formula to model our real data, and the advantages and limitations of doing so. This is the bridge necessary to place the theoretical world of probability and mathematical statistics into the real world of research and data analysis.

This is still my favorite introductory statistics book, it is unique and inciteful, while others are clones and impractical. It is for researchers, not statisticians. If you are a researcher and have reviewed many introductory statistics books you will see the value of this one in explaining how statistics work, instead of just showing formulas.

Reviews (26)

One of the best Econ textbooks
I'd recommend this along w/ "The Economic Way of Thinking" by Heyne, as the two best Econ textbooks I've read.Mankiw's book is fair and balanced, he is not a frothing at the mouth partisan, and it is a straightforward explanation of basic economic terms.However, he establishes a handful of core truths that anyone who wishes to understand economics must accept, and if not accept, explain as to why these certain truths don't apply.For example, Mankiw establishes that 1.) free markets work better than regulated markets, 2.) private property and incentives are necessary for productivity 3.) trade makes everyone wealthier.

He does not explain these in a polemical way, but he calmly establishes a solid case for these (and other principles), and despite being fairly standard in economic circles, they are fairly contentious in the realm of political economics and discourse (particularly on the collegiete level, where English Major Marxists think they know more about the social order than those who study the social order).This makes the book more persuasive than a fire and brimstone screed from an Ann Coulter type.Books like this need to be read by all to improve the Economical I.Q. of the voting public.

Excellent Text for the Intro. Level
The text is excellent and is suitable for any type of introductary Ecnonomics class. It can be used in a tough course or an easy course, as it provides a great level of organization so that the instructor may choose the material at his discretion depending on his course lay out.

Reviews (13)

Good microeconomics book
I have used this as a textbook for my second year microeconomic theory course. I think this is definitely a good reference for mathematical approach to economics. This book definitely assumes some exposure to beginning microeconomics, so this is not a beginners text. It is a nice book because it has a lot of interesting info beside standard micro topics, such as risk aversion. Exaples and graphs are helpful to illustrate the concepts. Excercises are hard (at least some of them), so get the solution manual. I also found this textbook interesting because it has a lot of footnotes with additional details, and "extensions" in the end of each chapter which take the topics a bit futher. Another helpful feature was the list of recommended literature for each topic. Even though I am not sure if I will continue in economics, I am still keeping this book for myself because I had a good experience with it.

Excellent intermediate/graduate text
I used this book for my first graduate microeconomic theory course and really have to compliment my professor for making an excellent choice. Although I`m sure there are much more rigorour books on the subject out there, like the Mas-Collel et al., when viewed in its own right, Nicholson`s book is hard to top. The book deserves the greatest merit for not being wordy; all points are covered briefly and to the point with many sample problems that are challenging and further the understanding of the material. Finally, I think the author deserves some praise for the mathematical notation, too. He uses conventional notation that econ students are accustomed to from their first math econ courses and doesn`t try to show what a rocket scientist he is, by trying to confuse people. Anyone with a solid background in basic calculus should be able to get through the book on their own. Almost all steps are presented clearly and even in those rare cases where that`s not the case, the student is able to figure out what`s going on easily. I can only recommend buying this book. For people requiring more rigour and coverage, get an advanced theory text, but for first year graduate students and those who need a quick review for more advanced courses, Nicholson`s text is a great point of departure and shouldn`t be missing on any serious economics student`s book shelf.

Reviews (6)

The best UNDERGRADUATE textbook on Development Economics
This is what I had to wait a long time for back in my days as an academic -- an UNDERGRADUATE textbook on Development Economics that is aimed squarely at economists. Most other textbooks on the subject are aimed at students with a general interest in development. While this makes them more accessible, they suffer from not seeing how useful a tool mainstream economic theory is when it comes to examining development issues. Importantly, Ray uses the analytical tools of economics without being too mathematical. This is the textbook I had my undergraduate students buy.

For graduate students it's an excellent 'background' text, but not sufficiently advanced enough to serve as a core text to supplement journal articles.

solid textbook in scientific mode
This textbook was written for senior undergraduates or master's students with a minimum introduction to economics, which assumes that the student has assimilated the general features of the approach defining economics as a social science.Consequently, any student or reader who is well grounded in the social science paradigm will readily assimilate this excellent introduction to development economics, which is distinguished by the solid, I would even say, jam-packed expertise of Debraj Ray.

The author gives an excellent overview in the four-page preface, where he acknowledges the limitations of his work and prepares the reader well by conveying a transparent framework for absorbing the rather dense exposition that follows.

There is in the second chapter a concise discussion of the meaning of economic development, which defines it as a multifaceted concept for which per capita income is a robust but significantly incomplete operational measure.

Throughout the book, the basic pattern of discussion is consistent.The author discusses theory and data in dynamic--the order of the two is interchangeable--identifying and discriminating what is substantiated, imperfect, or defective in theory, as well as what is informative, unexplained, or wanting in data, and then whenever possible drawing implications or conclusions for economic policy.The ultimate goal of author's analysis is to limn the "structural characteristics" of economic development, building upon the fundamental assumption that the key determinants of economic performance are a cohort of salient variables that affect the efficient functioning of markets.

Some of the variables that are intensively discussed include inequality, poverty, population growth, rural-urban sector interaction, the functioning of land, labor, capital, credit, and insurance markets, and trade policy.Not all factors that affect economic development are adequately quantified, such as social norms or the status quo.Interestingly, the author accounts rather well for the "East Asian miracle" in terms of some of these variables.

The two appendices at the end cover game theory and elementary statistical methods, both essential for the scientific understanding of economic development.

Designed for an introductory course, the textbook is of course weakly regardful of new ideas or studies, so that it will not bring the reader to any eager appreciation of exciting issues in the discipline--or maybe economics inherently IS a dismal science?

From the standpoint of social science, the textbook is surpassingly descriptive and analytical but to only a limited extent prescriptive.I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to substantively understand economic development in an analytical and scientific mode.

Reviews (1)

Reviews (3)

Heavy life saver!
Seldomly books on economic theory, particularly on regulation and antitrust are as clearly and professionally written as this one. A student of economics and Ph.D. hopeful, I keep this book within my hand reach at all times.
Economics of Regulation and Antitrust cites numerous antitrust and regulatory cases from American and European history and is thought provoking rather than doctrinal. The graphs are exceptionally easy to read and understand. Particularly well written are chapters on regulation of American transportation.
I continue to use this book for my research and highly recommend it to anybody who is seriously interested in understanding the logic behind regulation acts, game theory, and franchise bidding.

This Book Stinks
If you are looking for a nonconsistant book that jumps around and does not follow through on its explanation of certain topics than this is the book for you!

Reviews (15)

Not What I've Come to Expect from Krugman
First off, even if you totally discount the rest of my review, buy the low price international version of this book.On the March 10, 2005 episode of the daily show Krugman elucidated his feelings quite clearly."The real money is in textbooks. With other books, people need to decide whether to buy them or not. Students have to buy textbooks."Thanks Paul.I think I'm being charitable when I say that at $125 this book is a ripoff.It isn't even full color.

Anyway, on to the actual content of the book.I have to say that I was excited when I found out that myInternational economics course at Stanford was going to be using Paul Krugman's book. I've enjoyed his articles for the New York Times because they manage to cut right to the core of issues with an unusual amount of punch.Yet, time and time again I was disappointed with the frequently inpenatrable language and obtuse, unrealistic examples in this book.Unfortunately, the only part of Krugman's characteristic writing style that came through was a feeling of overwrought vitriol, which makes sense in an op-ed but has little place in a textbook.Furthermore, this book occupies a strange niche in the world of econ texts, it is not mathematically rigorous, nor is it well written.Usually we see one or the other but rarely both.Initially, I thought these observations were mine alone, but other students began openly voicing pointed criticisms of the book during class (and I am perhaps being too kind here in not repeating them).I've been in school nearly as long as I can remember and I have never seen such discontent with a text.

During the second half of the course even my econ prof became fed up and abandoned the book altogether.Given that, I find all of the positive reviews for this book rather astounding.My suspicion is that there might have been open rebellion amongst my classmates had not the professor decided to leave this text by the wayside. I also found that it is brimming with misplaced, one-sided arguments that come across as Krugman blatantly strawmanning arguments opposed to his own.One of many examples of this comes out of nowhere near the end of chapter 2.Krugman implies that anyone who doesn't believe in unmitigated free trade is intellectually irresponsible!?!This book pushes for unrestrained market fundamentalism throughout, primarily by misrepresenting any arguments that would effectively challenge it's simplistic and seemingly outdated dogma.This book, in particular, feeds into the same system of self serving scientism so prevalent in economics for the last 60 years.

Please don't mistake this review as the bile of a jilted student, I did quite well in the course.However, this is almost certainly the result of looking for alternative explanations of virtually every topic covered.The reason this book gets one star instead of two is because it lacks a lot of the modern learning tools prevalent in almost every other textbook.Things like quality questions, keywords, vocabulary and historical context all get short shrift in this this volume.If you're into learning about incomplete models that only represent a theoretical version of the world, this book is for you. Unfortunately, just like Krugman said on The Daily Show, if you are a student there is probably little chance that you have a choice on the matter.Buy the cheap international edition for 20 bucks.I would recommend that you use to the difference to buy William Easterly's Elusive Quest for Growth...and a beer.

The Undergraduate International Economics Standard
Well, I will start off by saying that the book really probably only deserves somewhere between 4-4.5 stars, but I'll give it 5 to offset some of the questionable reviews below.

No, the book is not perfect. However, it is an academic standard at pretty much any major college or university for teaching undergraduate International Econ/Trade theory, and for good reason. The book makes a clear a concise presentation of basic theory and policy, perhaps in points it is a little too simple. As pointed out, while I'm not sure about the 6th edition, there were some diagrammatical mistakes in the 5th...I bet, however, these were done by a graduate student. A quick bit of reasoning and a second of thought should yield the appropriate picture, however. And yes, I think a bit of Krugman's bias comes through, though its not terribly off-putting.

The book could use a bit more math I think. The real equations and difficult problems are few and far between, and are, for the most part, pretty straight forward. At the very most it would take a basic understanding of calculus, but the majority of the problems and equations can be explained and done without it. I have read a number of undergraduate economics books with far more intensive math. Despite this lack, however, the intentions come across pretty well.

No, this book is not for beginners to economics. At least an undergraduate course or reading in both micro and macro are needed, and really and truly, an intermediate level in each is probably better if one wants to get the most out of the book.

If you find the subject matter within to be terribly math intensive and you cannot get motivated to read the subject matter because it doesn't use "pizza and beer" (and um...I don't think I'd want an imported pizza anyway, but thanks), well I guess the subject and this book are not for you. However, if you are trying to enrich your understanding of economics at a very basic level, this book provides a good way to do so.

And, if you want graduate level book, and like Obstfeld, I recommend he and Rogoff's book.

Reviews (38)

Not very useful
I have taken two semesters of calculus using this book, and am most disappointed and frustrated. It may be a good volume if you are coming into the class fresh from AP Calculus in high school (I was not), but if you have taken algebra and pre-calculus in college, and then proceed to this, as I did, the learning curve is very steep.

The exposition in Stewart's volume is of irregular quality. Sometimes clear, it is, at others, obtuse, and in some sections utterly fails to illuminate the topic.

The exercise sets seem well-designed for someone majoring in math, and whose experience includes high school algebra. For those students, this will be more review than new learning. In each set of exercises, the problems seem to be trying to force new epiphanies, with each new problem. For my part, a less steep curve would work far better, and I have found it necessary to acquire an alternate volume as a backup. My instructor has also observed that the exercises are overly complex, and that they rarely contain any problems suited for inclusion on an exam.

The software included is rather poor in quality, and will fail to work at all unless you accept the default installation path.

Finally, the binding is not up to the task of holding together a 1,200+ page book, and mine is falling apart, despite my having always carried it in a padded bag. At the price, that is unforgiveable.

As you will almost certainly be buying this for a college class, you have no choice -- the school will have selected for you. But be advised, you may need a second book to explain this one. Also note, the solutions guide often fails to enlighten, as too often they leave out steps that are the focus of the topic in the section to which the exercises relate. Further, the solutions guide covers only the first 11 chapters, so you will need to consider the multi-variable solutions guide as well, and that brings the solutions guide cost to over half the price of the book.

All in all, this is not a bargain, and not even a very good value.

Your undergrad calc bible
I've long since moved on to more advanced calculus since first cracking this book open, and I'll admit at first I didn't like it very much.But after using it for a couple of years, I have to say that it's the single most useful textbook I own.When you're first learning the concepts, it can be tough, but I blame that on calculus, not Stewart.As a refresher for different techniques, this book is a dream come true; examples are diverse and to the point, and the book covers many different techniques.For learning calc this book is good, and for someone who is already familiar it's wonderful.

Reviews (8)

Not a helpful book
a terrible book for self-study. may be good as a class companion where the teacher explains a lot. but the author does not approach linear algebra in an pedagogical way that enables self-study. solutions for exercises come out of the blue of the sky. also errors found.

Excellent Book
I loved using this book for my Linear Algebra class. It explains everything well and provides ample examples.

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Reviews (3)

Oh, mine!!!
Thank goodness that this one is better than the previous two, as said by the previous reviewer. When I was reading the text, I could not help falling asleep even though I had drunk 3 big cups of strong coffee. However, when I turned to Spivak's or Simmons', the situation totally changed! However, one thing that I truly thank the author is that they have taught me how to talk about math. But the numerical stuffs are awfully bad, and the graphs are made not quite attractive. Anyway, it's but a mediocre text of calculus for liberal arts major or future secondary school teachers of math. But as a pioneer of the calculus reform, this one is probably the would-be "classic". For future mathematicians: try Spivak or Apostol
For future physicists: try Edwards and Penney's and Stewart's

Organized and intuitive
Even though a lot of professors and instructors have weeded out these texts, I found this book to be organized and helpful.
However, engineers are usually required to take some form of Advanced Engineering Math. I believe AEM is more detailed than Calculus III (multivariable) and that the books for AEM are usually more helpful than straight multivariable calculus. The reason is because multivariable calculus is too focused on the theory behind concepts like Green's Theorem, etc.. and doesn't really aim towards helping the student apply this knowledge in the field.

Sometimes its easier to understand things that you can find ways of using in real life.

Reviews (9)

Good review of statistics and how it works in real life
The only complaint that I have is that it either could have used more examples or have a better explaination of the examples given. But about 7.5-8 times out of 10, it was right on the mark.
This is assuming this may be used for an undergraduate program.

But if this book was used for a Master's program, I used this book for a Applied Managerial Business Decision Making, CTUonline.edu Master's level class. So I guess the book actually does more of a review of statistics with examples of how it applies in the real business world.

If you are in an undergraduate program, your school may accept credit by examination. You may possibly be able to test out of your statistics requirement. Go to http://www.1yearba.com for more information.

Good Book
This was a useful book and had helpful examples using excel. I had hoped that it would have had examples using the TI83 calculator but other than that this was a good book for statistics.

Reviews (10)

Nice introduction!
This book gives a nice introduction to Econometrics. It goes well when explains difficult concepts with lots of details and examples in a clear straight forward approach.

It lacks a little of rigorous proofs. It's more for you to understand what is econometrics, how to apply it and basic problems associated to it.

For more advances and rigorous texts, check the also excellent Gujarati's book, Fumio Hayashi's Econometrics and Greene's Econometrics Analysis.

Did the trick ...
As an undergraduate student, studying econometrics I advise that this book is a very (very) basic introduction to econometrics (one-step up from basic statistics, probabilities, etc).

One minus of the book, is that it lacks detailed examples of some of the key concepts (which is defintiely a must when you are learning something new) .... the concepts are detailed enough but it is always helpful to have a real world example of the concept.

Also, some of the chapters can induce learning overload and require intense concentration ... which I found to be quite annoying (as you do when you are a student).If the chapters were broken up a bit more, it would be a far easier read (see my recommendation below concerning an easier read).

However, the appendices are most excellent for review of key prior mathmatical knowledge (probabilities,statistics, etc) ... but you will likely need to know your "stuff" before you attempt to read this book (which is logical really).

If you are interested in econometrics but not so good with maths, I recommend purchasing Schaum's outlines: an introduction to mathematical economics by Edward T Dowling, as this is a most excellent, informative book with hundreds of worked through examples.

Additionally, I have also recently read "Learning and practising econometrics" by William E Griffiths et al, and this is a far easier read than Woolridges book ... but maybe that is because I have already read Woolridges book (just a thought).

At any rate whilst using this book, I passed my basic econometrics 200 level course, with a pleasing grade.So all in all, the book did do the trick!

Good luck, Kristina

Reviews (8)

An Essential Book
If you are going to do Micro at more than an undergraduate level, you are going to have this book on your shelf.It is quite comprehensive, although the notation is not always what one might be used to.I do share some of the misgivings voiced in other reviews -- topics sometimes don't appear in the order one might expect and the flow often may not seem natural.Also, the format of the presentation is unlike a mathematics text in that defibnitions, etc. may not always appear in nice blocks, etc. and occassionaly I have found myself wishing for a bit more technical detail, for example on Bayesian Games.But at some stage, if you do enough game theory, you will find yourself looking at it and then buying it.

An Essential Book
If you are going to do Micro at more than an undergraduate level, you are going to have this book on your shelf.It is quite comprehensive, although the notation is not always what one might be used to.I do share some of the misgivings voiced in other reviews -- topics sometimes don't appear in the order one might expect and the flow often may not seem natural.Also, the format of the presentation is unlike a mathematics text in that defibnitions, etc. may not always appear in nice blocks, etc.But at some stage, if you do enogh game theory, you will find yourself looking at it and then buying it.

Reviews (15)

Beware of the last chapter
Overall this is a very well written intro to game theory.However I want to raise one point which was never mentioned here.Unfortunately Gobbons' writing style deteriorate as the book progresses, and gets downright careless in the last chapter, which happens to be filled with examples.(there are typos as well, which are not present in other chapters.)I don't know if he was under the pressure to finish the book quickly, but it is clear not much attention was paid to that chapter.The explanations are not clear and confusing (it is a consensus from my classmates.)I'm giving four stars still because I think it is a pretty good introductory text.Just be mindful of that chapter.

Basic, but well written
This book provides a very simple, intuitive introduction to game theory, avoiding technical details. The author's style of writing is extremely clear. However, the book lacks sufficient rigor to make a good "stand-alone" introductory text for a graduate course in game theory. It would work well as a main text for an undergraduate course. Finally, most of the exercises in the book are well chosen and useful, unlike certain other texts on game theory I could mention.

Reviews (19)

A fun read
For anyone who enjoyed the movie A Beautiful Mind with Russel Crowe playing the Nobel prize winning Professor John Nash, this book does a great job explaining the principles behind Game Theory (prisoner's dilemma etc.) without being too mathematical.After reading you will see Strategy everywhere.

Shoot into the Air
Larry, Mo and Curly have undertaken a three-way duel. There will be two rounds. In the first round, each player gets one shot - first Larry, then Mo, then Curly. At the end of the first round, each survivor gets a second shot, in the same order. Larry is a poor shot, with a 30 percent success rate. Mo is better: he hits 50 percent. Curly never misses.

What should Larry do? The answer is that he should shoot into the air. By wasting his shot, he maximizes his chances of survival. Such is the analysis of the authors of this remarkable introduction to game theory.

One virtue of this book is its geniality: For Dixit and Nalebuff, game theory is full of anecdote and surprise, and they give you the sense that they like nothing better than to share their enthusiasm with others.(Geniality footnote: I probbly shouldn't noise this around, but one day I ran into a problem with an equation in a (different) Dixit book.I sent him an email; I got a response in an hour).A tradeoff for geniality is that they pay a price in structure: to get a coherent framework - even for some of their own best stories - you may have to go elsewhere (Professor Rappaport's textbook may be a good second choice). But it is hard to find any book that does better at conveying a sense of the excitement and challenge of game theory as a discipline).

Comparison shopper's note:I've used this in working with law students. Game Theory for Lawyers, by Baird, Gertner and Jackson, might seem closer on point. But it lacks those little four-block boxes that are a staple of game theory instruction, and for a beginner is bound to be pretty impenetrable without them.